“If there were no words
How would we even think?
When we read books, we begin to exist
When we read books, we begin to live”
I choose BOOKS! I choose LIFE!
These words of famous novelist Amish Tripathi, known for his work- Shiva’s Trilogy, echoed in the grounds of Sri Venkateshwar International School when more than 2000 students and staff (including support staff) repeated the Reading Pledge administered by the school Chairman Mr. Sailander Solanki on the sunny morning ofNovember 28, 2014.
The day marked as ‘One Nation Reading Together’event is celebrated across the nation by Scholastic India Ltd. For the Delhi Chapter, they collaborated with Sri VIS and the school was transformed into a magical world of books with the children of Sri VIS Kids Wing sitting in Book formation in the grounds reading and Std. 3-4 in the assembly foyer enjoying their foray in the literary world.
The maximum fun was watching Std. 5-7 sitting in Sri VIS BOOK READER formation and NDTV crew descending to cover the event. They decided that such a big event needs to be converted into half an hour story rather than just a news clipping. Std. 8 onwards congregated in the school auditorium for taking the pledge and also did the collective reading.
The school is also spearheading the campaign, “Gift a book, win a smile,” wherein the box outside the Library is already overflowing with the benevolent donations of books from students, parents and staff. May this box always overflow with the milk of human kindness and spread smiles in the life of under-privileged children, who will be the recipients of I choose a book, I choose a Life Campaign!